Electrical connector



May 19, 1964 T. J. RYS ETAL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 27, 1961INV EN TORS 75624162 (,7 fieforzszfl B11 United States Patent 3,133,731ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Tadeusz 1i. Rys, De Forest B. Butler, and Harris 1.Stanhaclr, all of Lexington, Ky., assignors to Square D Company, PathRidge, 111., a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 27, 1961, Ser. No.166,106 11 Claims. (Cl. 339-272) This invention relates to electricalconnectors of the lay-in type adapted to transversely receive anelectrical conductor in a generally U-shaped body portion thereof and toclamp the conductor in position by means of a clamping screw carried bya crosspiece or closing member mounted on the body portion.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved lay-in connector.

Another object is to provide a lay-in connector which has few parts andis economical to manufacture and durable in use.

A further object is to provide a lay-in connector which is not readilydisassembled in normal use.

A still further object is to provide a lay-in connector wherein aclamping screw, which is carried by a crosspiece or closing memberseparably but plvotaily connected to a generally U-shaped body portion,aids in maintaining the crosspiece connected to the body portion in theopen position of the crosspiece so as to prevent loss or misplacernentof the crosspiece.

Yet another object is to provide a lay-in connector having a generallyU-shaped body portion constructed to accommodate an enlarged headportion of a screw as the clamping end thereof, whereby a separateclamping plate is not needed.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings where- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of theconnector of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, separately showing the body portion ofthe connector and the crosspiece or closing member removed therefrom;

FIGURE 3 is a central vertical sectional View taken along the line 3-3of FIGURE 1, but showing an electric terminal strip, an electricalconductor clamped thereto, and a portion of an insulative mountingpanel;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FlGURE 3 but showing the crosspiece orclosing member of the connector in an open position;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the line 55 ofFIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a view of the clamping screw of the connector, shownpartially in section.

The connector is generally indicated by the numeral 11 and includes agenerally U-shaped body portion 1d, a crosspiece or closing member 12,and a clamping screw 14. The body portion includes a base portion 16which may, for example, be fastened to an insulative mounting panel 18,forming a part of an electrical device, by means of a screw 2%.Extending from opposite sides of the base portion 16 at substantiallyright angles thereto are two spaced leg portions 22 and 24 having slots26 and 28 adjacent their respective lower ends and slots 30 and 32adjacent their respective upper or free ends. The free ends of the legportions 22 and 24 are offset as at 34 and 36 so that the free ends arespaced farther apart than the ends of the leg portions connected to thebase portion 16. The offset 36 in the leg portion 24 is larger than theoffset 34 in the leg portion 22. Between the otlset 36 and the slot 28the central portion of the leg portion 24 is bowed outwardly asindicated 3,133,781 Patented May 19, 1964 at 40 and best shown in FIGURE5. Similarly, between the offset 34 and the slot 26 the central portionof the legportion 22 is bowed outwardly as indicated at 3-8. Inaddition, the central portion of the leg portion 22 above the slot 39 isbowed outwardly as indicated at 42 and the top edge surface 44 of theleg portion 24 is centrally recessed as indicated at 46. The outwardlybowed portions 38, 40, and 42 provide clearance for an enlarged clampinghead portion 47 of the clamping screw 14 and the slots 30 and 32 receivethe crosspiece or closing member 12, as explained hereinafter.

The crosspiece 12 includes a generally rectangular portion 48 having athreaded hole 4h therethrough for the reception of the clamping screw14. A short tongue portion 50 adapted to be received in the slot 30projects from one side of the rectangular portion 48 and is bentslightly from the plane thereof, upwardly therefrom in the positions ofthe crosspiece 12 shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, to aid in retaining it inthe slot 30 when a conductor is clamped in the connector. A long tongueportion 52 adapted to be received in the slot 32 projects from the otherside of the rectangular portion 48 and is reversely curved to form ineffect a loose pivotal connection with the portion of the leg portion 24above the slot 32.

The clamping screw 14 includes a threaded body portion 54, the enlargedclamping head portion 47 which may have a cross-slotted recess 57therein adapted to receive a screwdriver having a complementary end, anda reduced slot end portion 58 opposite the clamping head portion 47adapted to receive the end of a conventional screwdriver.

In assembling, the end portion 58 of the clamping screw 14 is insertedinto the hole 49 from the opposite side of the rectangular portion .48from the reversely curved tongue portion 52 and the screw 14 is turneduntil enough threads of the body portion 54 are engaged to retain thescrew 14 in the crosspiece 12 while still maintaining considerable spacebetween the end portion 58 and the free end of reversely curved tongueportion 52. The free end of reversely curved tongue portion 52 is theninserted in the slot 32 from the side thereof adjacent the leg portion22, somewhat as shown in FIG- URE 4, and the clamping screw 14 is thenthreaded substantially the rest of the way into the hole 49 until theclamping head portion 56 abuts or nearly abuts the rectangular portion48 of the crosspiece 12, also as shown in FIGURE 4.

The threading of the clamping screw 14 through the hole 49 substantiallyas far as it will go has a two-fold purpose. First, it locks thecrosspiece 12 to the leg portion 24 of the body portion 10 so that itcannot become lost or misplaced, since the space between the clampingscrew 14 and the free end of the reversely curved tongue portion 52 isthen less than the thickness of the leg portion 24. Second, it enablesthe clamping head portion 47 of the clamping screw 14 to clear the freeend of the leg portion 22 so that the crosspiece 12 can be rotatedcounterclockwise from the position ,of FIGURE 4 about the free end ofthe leg portion 24 to the clamping position of FIGURE 3.

The rectangular portion 48 of the crosspiece 12 is narrower than thespace between the free ends of the leg portions 22 and 24, as can benoted in FIGURE 1, and the crosspiece 12 can be shifted toward the legportion 42 to enable the tongue portion 50 to clear the free end of theleg portion 22. The crosspiece 12 can then be shifted back toward theleg portion 22 to engage the tongue portion 50 in the slot 30.

An electric terminal strip 59, which may be part of an electrical devicewith which the connector 11 is associated, is shown in FIGURES 3, 4, and5 extending along the top of the base portion 16. It will be obviousthat the terminal strip 59 may extend generally parallel to the legportions 22 and 24 as shown, or it may extend generally perpendicularthereto through one or both of the slots 26 and 28. When the crosspiece12 is in the open position as shown in FIGURE 4, an electrical conductor60 can be laid in the body portion of the connector between the legportions 22 and 24 on top of the terminal strip 59. The crosspiece 12can then be rotated to the clamping position in the manner abovedescribed and the clamping screw 14 turned down to clamp the connector60 in place.

The outwardly bowing of portions 38 and 40 of the leg portions 24 and 22establishes sufficient clearance for the clamping head portion 47 of theclamping screw 14, but the leg portions 22 and 24 are spaced closertogether at the ends thereof adjacent the base portion 16 than thediameter of the clamping head portion 47 of the clamping screw 14. Thus,when the conductor 60 is a stranded wire, the strands are maintainedwithin the closer spaced portions of the leg portions 22 and 24 onopposite sides of the bowed out portions 38 and 40 and prevented frombeing squeezed around the clamping head portion 47 of the clamping screw14. Accordingly, a standard screw modified only by slotting of the endportion 58 may be used for clamping and a separate clamping platepivotally mounted on the end of a clamping screw is not required. Thebowing of the portion 42 of the leg portion 22 enables the clamping headportion 47 to clear the free end of the leg portion 22 when thecrosspiece 12 is rotated into open and closed positions. Further, therecess 46 helps the body portion 54 of the clamping screw 14 clear thefree end of leg portion 24.

It should be noted that the crosspiece 12 cannot be pivoted clockwisefrom the clamping position of FIGURE 3 to the open position of FIGURE 4until the clamping screw 14 is backed out sufficiently for the clampinghead portion 47 thereof to clear the free end of the leg portion 22, andthat the clamping head portion 47 will not clear the free end of the legportion 22 until it substantially abuts the crosspiece 12, and further,that when the clamping head portion 47 abuts the crosspiece 12, the endportion 58 of the clamping screw 14 is closely adjacent the free end ofreversely curved tongue portion 52 so as to lock the crosspiece 12 tothe leg portion 24. Thus, in normal use, the crosspiece 12 is in effectlocked to the leg portion 24 without employment of an expensive rivetedconnection, and still the crosspiece is readily removable by the turningof the clamping screw 14 toward clamping position while the crosspieceis in open position, a procedure which would not be followed in normaluse of the connector 11.

Various modifications may be made in the structure disclosed withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An electrical connector comprising a generally U- shaped body portionhaving a base portion and a pair of spaced leg portions extendingtherefrom, one of said leg portions having a slot therethrough adjacentthe end thereof remote from said base portion, a crosspiece having areversely curved tongue portion receivable by said slot to form a loosepivotal connection between said crosspiece and said one leg portion, anda clamping screw threadedly received by said crosspiece and having aclamping end adapted to cooperate with said base portion to clamp aconductor therebetween, said clamping end of said clamping screwinterfering with the other leg portion to prevent pivotal movement ofsaid crosspiece on said one leg portion to an open position until saidclamping screw is turned relatively to said crosspiece to position saidclamping end closely adjacent said crosspiece and position the other endclosely adjacent the free end of said reversely curved tongue portion toretain said crosspiece on said one leg portion.

2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of oneof said leg portions remote from said base portion is outwardly offset.

3. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends ofsaid leg portions remote from said base portion are outwardly offset.

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends ofsaid leg portions remote from said base portion are outwardly offset andthe remote end of of said one leg portion is outwardly offset more thanthe remote end of said other leg portion.

5. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said other legportion has a slot therethrough opposite said slot in said one legportion and said crosspiece has a second tongue portion opposite saidreversely curved tongue portion, said second tongue portion beingadapted to be received in the slot in said other leg portion.

6. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of saidleg portions has an additional slot therethrough adjacent said baseportion.

7. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said clampingend of said clamping screw terminates in an enlarged clamping headportion.

8. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the ends ofsaid leg portions adjacent said base portion are spaced closer togetherthan the diameter of said enlarged clamping head portion of saidclamping screw and are bowed outwardly centrally thereof to accommodatesaid clamping head portion.

9. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein said secondtongue portion of said crosspiece is bent in a direction away from saidbase portion of said U-shaped body portion when positioned in said slotin said other leg portion.

10. An electrical connector comprising a generally U-shaped body portionhaving a base portion and a pair of spaced leg portions extendingtherefrom, the free end portion of one of said leg portions beingoutwardly offset from the other end portion thereof adjacent said baseportion in an amount sufiicient to position the opposite end portions ofsaid one leg portion completely out of alignment with each other, saidfree end portion of said one leg portion and the free end portion of theother leg portion respectively having slots extending transverselytherethrough, a crosspiece having opposed tongue portions respectivelyreceivable in said slots, the tongue portion receivable in the slot ofsaid one leg portion being reversely curved to form a loose pivotalconnection between said crosspiece and said one leg portion, and aclamping screw threadedly received in said crosspiece and having aclamping end adapted to cooperate with said base portion to clamp aconductor therebetween, said clamping end of said clamping screwinterfering with said other leg portion to prevent pivotal movement ofsaid crosspiece on said one leg portion to an open position until saidclamping screw is turned relatively to said crosspiece to position saidclamping end closely adjacent said crosspiece and at the same timeposition the other end closely adjacent the free end portion of saidreversely curved tongue portion to retain said crosspiece on said oneleg portion.

11. An electrical connector comprising a generally U-shaped body portionhaving a base portion and a pair of spaced leg portions extendingtherefrom, the free end portion of one of said leg portions beingoutwardly offset from the other end portion thereof adjacent said baseportion in an amount sufficient to position the opposite end portions ofsaid one leg portion completely out of alignment with each other, thefree end portions of both of said leg portions respectively having slotsextending transversely therethrough, a crosspiece having opposed tongueportions, one of said tongue portions extending through the slot in saidone leg portion and being reversely curved about the free end portion ofsaid one leg por- 5 tion to provide a pivotal mounting for saidcrosspiece and the other of said tongue portions being receivable in theslot in the other of said leg portions, and a clamping screw threadedlyreceived by said crosspiece and terminating in an enlarged clamping headportion adapted to 5 cooperate with said base portion to clamp aconductor therebetween, the end portions of said leg portions adjacentsaid base portion being spaced closer together than the diameter of saidenlarged clamping head portion and being bowed outwardly centrallythereof to accommodate 10 said clamping head portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS DownieAug. 16, 1892 Landmeier Dec. 9, 1941 Hubbell et a1. July 1, 1952 Bonnetet al Mar. '10,, 1959 Kobryner et a1. May 24, 1960 Fisher Feb. 21, 1961FOREIGN PATENTS France Sept. 20, 1943

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING A GENERALLY USHAPED BODY PORTIONHAVING A BASE PORTION AND A PAIR OF SPACED LEG PORTIONS EXTENDINGTHEREFROM, ONE OF SAID LEG PORTIONS HAVING A SLOT THERETHROUGH ADJACENTTHE END THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID BASE PORTION, A CROSSPIECE HAVING AREVERSELY CURVED TONGUE PORTION RECEIVABLE BY SAID SLOT TO FORM A LOOSEPIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CROSSPIECE AND SAID ONE LEG PORTION, ANDA CLAMPING SCREW THREADEDLY RECEIVED BY SAID CROSSPIECE AND HAVING ACLAMPING END ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID BASE PORTION TO CLAMP ACONDUCTOR THEREBETWEEN, SAID CLAMPING END OF SAID CLAMPING SCREWINTERFERING WITH THE OTHER LEG PORTION TO PREVENT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OFSAID CROSSPIECE ON SAID ONE LEG PORTION TO AN OPEN POSITION UNTIL SAIDCLAMPING SCREW IS TURNED RELATIVELY TO SAID CROSSPIECE TO POSITION SAIDCLAMPING END CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID CROSSPIECE AND POSITION THE OTHER ENDCLOSELY ADJACENT THE FREE END OF SAID REVERSELY CURVED TONGUE PORTION TORETAIN SAID CROSSPIECE ON SAID ONE LEG PORTION.